IBS/Zondervan
Break Word: May 1997 press
releases, 'Colorado Springs Guidelines,' and 2002 press
releases from the International Bible Society indicating
that
they are no longer abiding by the 'CSG' and previous agreements

Comparative
verse list: Now includes NT examples
from the new 2005 TNIV, released by the International Bible Society
(IBS), along with the Greek (Nestle-Aland 27), NASB, ESV, KJV, NRSV
and other versions.

THE
PEOPLE

IBS/CBT
Members: International
Bible Society and Committee on Bible Translation members and
contact information

MISCELLANEOUS

Related
Documents: Gender language
in the New Living Translation; Bayly/Strauss dialogue;
George Orwell's "The Principles of Newspeak"; Dr.
John M. Frame on his use of generic masculine pronouns; Touchstone
Editorials

Vern
S. Poythress has
identified an egregious error in the
TNIV. Not only is it a distortion
of the Word of God, but its inclusion
in the TNIV reveals the enslavement of
her translators to the spirit of the
age. Here's his conclusion:

He
concludes: "Mainstream
prestige culture finds certain patterns of thought
politically incorrect. It is at war with the word
of God. And so the integrity of the word of God
is at stake. The TNIV fails at crucial points to
maintain that integrity. The rejection of the TNIV
is important for the spiritual health of the people
of God."

Vern
Poythress and Wayne Grudem examine the translation
practice of replacing the generic “he” and
the specific “father” with the gender-neutral “they” and “parent” with
special attention focused on the TNIV. While translators
may be well intentioned in seeking not to offend, Poythress
and Grudem contend that the results are subtly changing
meanings of the original texts.

"In
sum, the use of pronouns shows interlocking between form
and meaning. From these phenomena we may generalize. Specific
forms within a specific context often carry meaning nuances
that cannot be completely reproduced by substitute forms. Translation
must indeed translate meaning, not merely form. But
meaning includes nuances, not just a basic core."

"The
central problem with Today's New International Version (TNIV) does not lie in this or that verse that has
been translated in less than an ideal way. It lies
in a pattern, a systematic policy, namely that it avoids using a male representative or example
to communicate a general truth."

Note
from Tim Bayly: This essay by KeptTheFaith's
editor, Andrew Dionne, examines whether certain words and
habits of usage found in Scripture are of enduring value
after their decline or death in the vernacular. Demonstrating
that language change is anything but neutral, Dionne also
exposes the naivete of the oft-repeated claim of those marketing
gender-neutral updates of Scripture, that their work was
in no way influenced by the ideological pressures of feminism.